The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has served a legal notice to The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, accusing the international outlets of publishing speculative reports on the cause of the 12 June Air India crash.
The pilots’ body has demanded an official apology, alleging the reports have caused unwarranted distress, reputational damage, and unnecessary anxiety within the aviation sector.
In its notice, the federation said the articles wrongly suggested that pilot error or cockpit confusion led to the crash, without any confirmed evidence. The FIP described the coverage as “selective and unverified reporting” that undermines journalistic responsibility while the official probe remains ongoing.
“We are instructed to place on record that the publication of such speculative content is highly irresponsible, and has caused grave and irreparable harm to the reputation of the deceased pilots, who are unable to defend themselves,” the notice read.
It added that Reuters’ reporting in particular had caused further distress to grieving families and demoralised the wider pilot community, which it said operates under immense pressure and public responsibility.
The pilots’ body argued that while the crash has naturally drawn public interest, it is not the time to “create public anxiety or angst” about the safety of India’s aviation industry on the basis of unverified claims.
The FIP has urged the media to refrain from speculating about the cause of the accident or attributing fault until the official findings are published.
Last month’s preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) found that the fuel control switches for the aircraft’s engines had shifted from “run” to “cutoff” moments before impact, severing the fuel supply.
The report cited cockpit recordings in which one pilot asked the other whether the switches had been changed, which the second pilot denied.
Despite this, the AAIB has rejected what it called “unverified and selective reporting” about any pilot’s alleged role in the disaster. It reiterated that the investigation must run its full course before conclusions are drawn.
On Friday, US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chief Jennifer Homendy also criticised the speculative coverage, describing the reports as premature and lacking investigative context. “Recent media reports on the Air India 171 crash are premature and speculative,” Homendy said, adding that the AAIB’s preliminary findings cannot yet confirm the exact cause.
The FIP’s notice urged The Wall Street Journal and Reuters to issue a formal apology and refrain from publishing any further content that speculates about the crash or assigns blame to individuals, particularly those who have died.
The AAIB’s preliminary report noted that the Air India flight lasted about 30 seconds from takeoff to impact, killing at least 260 people, including 19 on the ground.
The fuel switches, it said, were returned to “run” moments later, but the aircraft was unable to regain power quickly enough to recover altitude before crashing.
The final investigation report is still awaited.
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